Ever wonder where authors get their ideas for characters? In my case, it's from watching people—their traits, mannerisms, characteristics, reactions in situations, speech patterns, and more. But I'll share a secret with you. The villain or antagonist in my thriller, The Taxman Cometh, is based on an uncle on my mother's side. Her family came from Sicily and my grandfather was from the area near Florence, Italy (that's a heck of a combination—artisans and mobsters!). The family name was Marinelli before my grandfather anglicized it to Murray. This uncle's first name was Fred, hence Fred Marinelli in the book. My grandfather was a wealthy citrus grower who owned thousands of acres of what became prime real estate. When he died, he was worth a genuine fortune. At the funeral, Fred told his five siblings, including my mother, that the old man had died penniless, but that Fred would take care of the expenses. He just needed the siblings to sign disclaimers waiving any right to the estate. His (crooked) lawyer was on hand at the funeral to make sure the disclaimers were signed. All the siblings, including my mother, confused and torn with grief, signed. Fred never worked another day in his life and lived in splendor. He also punched me in the face when I was ten-years-old. It was always my intention to beat the living s**t out of him, but he uncharitably died before I could get to him. But not all is lost. The bastard will live forever in ignominy in the pages of The Taxman Cometh. What? Me vengeful? Perish the thought. Well, my dad was Irish. While wearing a cast on his leg from knee surgery, he beat the s**t out of Fred. And now you know where some of the characters in literature come from.